This invention relates to a process for manufacturing instant-cooking rice, which is storable over a long period of time, and which can be reconstituted into a food preparation as palatable as home-cooked rice a few minutes after hot water is poured thereon.
Although studies and developments have been made in the field of instant-cooking rice and these rice products are now on the market, they have not yet gained popularity in Japan.
The following may be considered as the main reasons thereof:
(a) Individual rice kernels, even if they are of the same kind, differ in size, composition or ingredients, etc. These differences affect heat transfer and water permeation, resulting in half-cooked rice and mixed kernels each having a different taste or feeling.
(b) Prior instant-cooking rice is reconstituted or restored by either boiling in a pan or a cookpot for few minutes, or by pouring hot water thereon and leaving it as it is for more than 10 minutes. The prior products which are restored by boiling in a pan or a cookpot may not be always restored in a constant state, even if they are the same products, due to slight differences in pan size, water amount, fire intensity, etc. On the other hand, the prior products which are restored with hot water may require a period of time longer than ten minutes for restoration.